Report - Brinksway deep level shelter, Stockport - Aug 2013

[paulpowers]

I've not been underground for 5 days and was starting to get the shakes, my eyes had adapted to being above ground and my skin was no longer translucent so I had to find somewhere dark and cool to hide from the midday sun

As I was in Stockport I decided on Brinksway deep level shelter

The Brinksway deep level shelter is one of four deep level shelters in Stockport.
The air raid shelter tunnels were for civilian use, and were dug into the red sandstone on which the town centre stands on.
Work started on the tunnels in 1938 and the first set of shelters was opened on 28 October 1939.

The smallest of the tunnel shelters could accommodate 2,000 people and the largest 6,500 people.
The tunnels were 7 feet wide and 7 feet high and had electric lighting and wooden bench seating. There were toilets, mostly chemical although a few were plumbed into the mains. A warden’s post, a first aid store and a tool store were also provided.
As the threat of bombing receded in 1943, it was decided that the tunnels no longer needed to be open every night. After the end of the War, the tunnels were sealed up and remained virtually as they had been.

Wardens post

Toilets